three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not Walter Smith III

• 1 seesaw 06:11
• 2 Gangsterism on Moranish 04:05
• 3 24 02:43
• 4 Misanthrope's Hymn 06:12
• 5 Cézanne 04:39
• 6 610 Loop 02:17
• 7 Point of Many Returns 04:31
• 8 Montrose Nocturne 04:55
• 9 Office Party Music 04:26
• 10 A Brief Madness 03:00
• 11 Lone Star 04:13
• Total Runtime 47:12

Info for three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not

Saxophonist Walter Smith III pays homage to his hometown of Houston, Texas on his sophomore Blue Note album, three of us are from Houston and Reuben is not, the follow-up to 2023's return to casual. The album's wry title signifies the lineup, which includes fellow Houston natives - pianist Jason Moran and drummer Eric Harland - while bassist Reuben Rogers, who hails from the Virgin Islands, rounds out the quartet. Together they enliven 10 compelling Smith originals and an imaginative rendering of the Sam Rivers composition "Point of Many Returns" - all of which speaks to Smith's ascending status as one of modern jazz's most engaging talents of his generation.

"This may be a record borne from a sense of hometown loyalty, but the result spans further than the confines of Houston's jazz scene. It cements Smith's status as one of American jazz music's contemporary greats who's as capable of spotlight-stealing soloing as of bandleading with emotive and artfully agile compositions." (Ammar Kalia, DownBeat)

Walter Smith III, tenor saxophone
Jason Moran, piano
Reuben Rogers, double bass
Eric Harland, drums

Walter Smith III
From an early age, Walter began taking music very seriously. “My first gig was playing at a McDonalds in Houston with another saxophone player. I took a solo on “Blue Bossa.” It was terrible. People clapped, and I figured if I could get away with that and get applause, how could I fail?”

Although it may appear Smith is a new voice on the scene, he is widely recognized as an adept performer, accomplished composer, and inspired educator. Smith’s latest release, In Common III, has been described as “boundary pushing”, and features some of the most important and talked about musicians in the world - Matt Stevens, Kris Davis, Dave Holland and Terri Lyne Carrington. Newly signed to Blue Note Records, Smith will release his debut, “return to casual” for the label on April 7, 2023.

Smith has developed under the wings of many of the music’s greats. Walter is/has been a member of several legendary groups (recording and/or touring) including the Roy Haynes Fountain of Youth Band, Terence Blanchard Quintet, Eric Harland's “Voyager”, Bill Stewart Trio, Jason Moran’s In My Mind:Monk at Town Hall, Ambrose Akinmusire Quintet, the Christian McBride “Situation”, Marquis Hill “New Gospel Revisited”, Gerald Clayton Quintet, Christian Scott group and the Sean Jones Quintet to name a few.

Smith has performed all over the world participating in virtually every international festival as well as famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Village Vanguard, and the Kennedy Center. In addition, he has shared the stage and/or appeared on recordings with many important artists including Mulgrew Miller, Billy Childs, Joe Lovano, Herbie Hancock, Maria Schneider, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ralph Peterson, and a host of others. To date, Walter has appeared on over 100 recordings that are released worldwide.

Originally from Houston, TX, Smith now resides in Boston, MA and is Chair of Woodwinds at Berklee College of Music helping to prepare the next generation of young artists.

Walter proudly endorses Boston Sax Shop Reeds/Accessories/Cases, Silverstein Works Ligatures, and Fred LeBayle Mouthpieces.

This album contains no booklet.